Switch units



f u I Jan. 22, 1963 J. VANl ErAL 3, 7

SWITCH UNITS Filed March 24, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6 I 9a. l

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INVENTORS J'AMES VAN\ ALBERT d- MALPEDE 29 a2 A- g a HTT'Y.

J. VANI ETAL Jan. 22, 1953 SWITCH UNITS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24, 1961 INVENTORSI JAMES VAN\ ALBERT J. MALPEDE 2 W States nite This invention relates to switches and, more particularly, to switch units which are particularly well adapted for use as trip switches.

in some units wherein energization of electrically en'- ergized units are controlled by the closing and opening of a trip switch, it is desirable that the electrical unit remain energized for a period of time after the switch has been released by the member which tripped it. For example, in automatic automobile washing units, and the like, wherein the passage of the automobile through the unit is effective to trip a switch to thereby initiate a washing cycle of operation, it is often desirable to delay the opening of the switch for a predetermined period of time to complete a rinsing cycle of operation, or the like, after the automobile has passed the position wherein it is effective to maintain the switch in closed condition. It is a primary object of the present invention to enable a novel trip switch to be afforded which is capable of operation in such a manner.

Another object of the present invention is to afford a novel switch of the aforementioned type wherein the opening thereof is controlled in a novel and expeditious manner.

A further object is to afford a novel trip switch wherein the time delay between release of the switch and opening of the switch may be quickly and easily, accurately adjusted in a novel and expeditious manner.

Yet another object of the present invention is to afford a novel trip switch of the aforementioned type wherein the parts thereof operate smoothly, without undesirable jarring and shock thereto.

Another object of the present invention is to afford a novel trip switch which is quiet in operation.

A further object is to proivde a novel trip switch of the aforementioned type which is practical and efiicient in operation and may be readily and economically produced commercially.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what we now consider to be the best mode in which we have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art with out departing from the present invention and the pur-1 view of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a trip switch unit embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the ins 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the hydraulic system embodied in the trip switch unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substan tially along the line 44 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the unit shown in FIG. 4, with certain parts disposed in different positions; and

atet

FIG. 7 is a detail sectional View taken substantially along the line '77 in FIG. 2.

A trip switch unit 1, embodying the principles of the present invention, is shown in the drawings to illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The trip switch unit 1 includes an elongated, substantially rectangular-shaped main housing 2 having a removable top wall 3, a bottom wall 4, two end walls 5 and 6, and two side walls 7 and 8, FIGS. 1, 2, and 5.

A quick acting switch 9 which may be of any suitable type such as, for example, a microswitch, is mounted on a bracket in attached to the inner face of the top wall 3 of the housing 2 by suitable means such as, welding, FIGS. 2, 4, and 7, and may be connected to suitable conductors such as the wires or conduit 9a, which extend out of the housing 2 for connection to the electrical unit, not shown, which it is desired to control. Switch 9 includes an actuating member, in the form of a push button 11, which projects outwardly from the main housing 12 of the switch 9. The push button 11 is spring urged outwardly from the housing 12 and is movable into and out of the housing 12 between an inner position shown in solid lines in FIG. 7 and an outer position shown in broken lines in FIG. 7. The switch 9 is preferably so constructed that movement of push button 11 only a short portion of the distance outwardly from the inner position toward the outer portion thereof is effective to close the switch 9, and the switch 9 remains closed during inward movement of push button 11 from its outer position to its inner position until the push button 11 has closely approached its aforementioned inner position.

An auxiliary housing 13 is mounted on the main housing 12 of the switch 9 in surrounding relation to the push button 11, FIGS. 4 and 7, and a vertically extending shaft 1 is journalled in the housing 13 and projects downwardly therefrom, FIGS. 2 and 7. At its upper end, the shaft 14 is disposed relatively closely adjacent to the push button 11, and carries an actuating arm 15 which projects radially outwardly thereof into the path of travel of the push button 11, FIG. 7. At its lower end, the shaft 14 has mounted thereon for rotation therewith a bell crank lever 16, which includes a roller or cam follower l7 rotatably mounted on the free end portion of one leg '18 thereof.

"An elongated trip arm 19 has one end thereof mounted on the upper end portion of a shaft 20 which is journalled in suitable bearings 21 and 22 in a housing 23, which is integral with and projects upwardly and downwardly from the top wall 3 of the housing 2, FIG. 5. The trip arm 19 is secured to the shaft 26 for rotation therewith so that swinging movement of the trip arm 19 around the longitudinal axis of the shaft 2% is effective to correspondingly rotate the shaft 29 in the housing 23.

The shaft 20 projects downwardly from the housing 23 and terminates at its lower end in upwardly spaced relation to the bottom wall 4 of the housing 2. A cam plate 24 is mounted on the lower end portion of the shaft 29 below the housing 23, and is secured to the shaft 20 for rotation therewith. As may be seen in FIG. 4, the cam 24 includes a peripheral flange portion 25 having two radially extending cam surfaces 26 and 27, the outer ends of which are connected by a dwell surface 28 which is in the form of an arc of a circle having the longitudinal center line of the shaft 20 as its center.

When the trip arm 19 is disposed in normal, at-rest position, the cam 24 and the bell crank lever 16 are normally disposed in the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 4, wherein the roller 17 on the bell crank lever 16 is disposed in abutting engagement with the cam surface 26 on the cam 24, and the actuating arm on the shaft 1-4 is disposed in the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 7, wherein it is effective to hold the push button 11 in its aforementioned inner position. Movement of the trip lever 19 from its aforementioned normal unactuated position around the longitudinal axis of the shaft 24 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4, is effec tive to correspondingly rotate the cam 24. Rotation of the cam 24 in this manner is effective to rotate the bell crank lever 16 and, therefore, the shaft 14 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4, the cam follower 17, during this movement of the cam 24, riding outwardly off from the cam surface 26 unto the dwell surface 28 as shown in FIG. 6. Such rotation of the shaft 14 is elfective to correspondingly rotate the actuating arm 15 secured thereto in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 4. and 7 from the position shown in solid lines in FIG. 7 to the actuated position shown in broken lines in FIG. 7 to thereby free the push button 11 of the switch 9 for movement outwardly of its aforementioned inner position to thereby close the switch 9.

Two hydraulic cylinders 29 and 39, are supported by a suitable bracket 31 from the top wall 3 of the housing 2 below the switch 9, FIGS. 2 and 4. The free ends of the pistons 32 and 33, which are reciprocably mounted in the cylinders 29 and 30, respectively, are pivotally connected by pins 34 and 35 to the free ends of an arm 36 of the cam 24 and the second leg 37 of the bell crank lever 1-6, respectively, FIG. 4. The pistons 32. and 33 are spring-urged inwardly, to the left, as viewed in PEG. 4, away from the cam 24 and the bell crank lever 16, by springs, not shown, in the cylinders 29 and Stl.

Flow-control valves 38 and 3% are mounted on the cylinder 29 and 38, respectively, and at one end are connected to the left ends thereof, as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4, by suitable conduits 4t and 41, respectively. The other ends of the flow-control valves 38 and 39 are connected by suitable pipes or conduits 42 and 43, respectively, to the lower end of a conduit 4-4, which is connected at its upper end into the bottom of a tank or reservoir 45, FIGS. 2 and 3. The reservoir 45 contains a suitable supply of oil or other suitable hydraulic fluid for the hydraulic system, including the cylinders 29 and 30, of which it forms a part. The flow-control valves 33 and 39 include the usual adjusting screws 46 and 47, respectively, by which the speed of flow of hydraulic fluid from the cylinders 29 and 30 to the reservoir 45 maybe adjusted. The valves 38 and 39 are of the type which permit relatively unrestricted, rapid flow of hydraulic fluid from the reservoir into the cylinders 29 and 3%.

It will be seen that with the piston 32 of the cylinder v29 connected to the arm 36 of the cam 24 in the aforementioned manner, rotation of the trip arm 19 in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in FIG. 4, and the consequent rotation of the cam 24 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4, from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 6,

is effective to pull the piston 32 outwardly from the cylinder 22 to the position shown in FIG. 6, to thereby cause hydraulic fluid to flow from the reservoir 45 through the conduits 44 and 42, the flow-control valve 48 and the conduit 40 into the left end of the cylinder 29. It will be remembered that the aforementioned counterclockwise rotation of the cam 24 is also effective to rotate the bell crank lever 16 from the position shown in FIG. 4 to the position shown in FIG. 6. This rotation of the bell crank lever 16 is efiective to pull the piston 33 outwardly from the cylinder 30 into the position shown in FIG. 6. This outward movement of the piston 33 is effective to cause hydraulic fluid to flow from the reservoir 45 through the conduits 44- and 43, the flow-control valve 39 and the conduit 41 into the left end of the cylinder 30.

Subsequently, when the trip arm 19 is released from the member which has caused its aforementioned rotation in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4,

the spring, not shown, in the cylinder 2d is effective to move the piston 32 back into the cylinder 29. This movement of the piston 32 is eifective to rotate the cam 24 and, therefore, the shaft 20 and the trip arm 19 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4. This movement of the piston 32 into the cylinder 29 forces the hydraulic fluid in the cylinder 29 back through the conduit 40, the flow-control valve 38, and the conduits 42 and 44 toward the reservoir 45. Thus, it will be'seen that by properly adjusting the adjusting screw 46 on the flowcontrol valve 38, the rate of how of hydraulic fluid from the cylinder 47 toward the reservoir 45 may be adjusted to thereby adjust the rate of movement of the piston 32 into the cylinder 29, and thereby adjust the rate of rotation of the cam 24, the shaft Ztl and the trip lever 19 back toward the normal position thereof shown in FIG. 4.

During the initial portion of the clockwise rotation of the cam 24 from the actuated position shown in FIG. 6 toward the normal, at-rest position shown in FIG. 4, the roller 17 on the bell crank lever 16 remains in engagement with the dwell portion 28 of the cam 24 and rolls therealong, so that until the cam 24 has rotated a sufficient distance that the dwell portion 23 thereof is moved out of engagement with the roller 17, the bell crank lever 16 is held by the cam 24 in the actuated position shown in FIG. 6. During this return rotation of the cam 24, when it has rotated a sufiicient distance that the dwell portion 28 thereof moves out of engagement with the roller 28 on the bell crank lever 16, the roller 17 is freed for inward movement along the cam surface 26, to thereby free the bell crank lever 16 for rotation in a counterclockwise direction, from the actuated position shown in solid lines, FIG. 4. When the bell crank lever 16 is thus free by the cam 24 for rotation in such counterclockwise direction, the spring, not shown, in the cylinder 30 is effective to move the piston 33 back into the cylinder 30 to thereby effect the aforementioned counterclockwise rotation of the bell crank lever f6. This movement of the piston 36 into the cylinder 30 is effective to force hydraulic fluid from the cylinder 3%? through the conduit 41, the flow-control valve 39, and the conduits 43 and 44 toward the reservoir 45. By properly adjusting the position of the adjusting screw 47 in the flow-control valve 39, the rate of flow from the cylinder 3t toward the reservoir 45 may be adjusted to thereby adjust the rate of movement of the piston 33 into the cylinder 30, and thereby adjust the rate of rotation of the bell crank lever 16 from the actuated position shown in FIG. 6 to the normal at-rest position shown in FIG. 4.

Thus, it will be seen that in the novel trip switch 1 the rate of return movement of the cam 24, the shaft 20, and the trip lever 19 from the actuated position shown in FIG. 6 to the normal at-rest position shown in FIG. 4 may be readily adjusted, by adjustment of the adjusting screw 46, to substantially any desired rate of movement. Also, the rate of return movement of the bell crank lever 16 from the actuated position shown in FIG. 6 to the normal at-rest position shown in FIG. 4 may be readily adjusted to substantially any desired rate of movement by adjusting the adjusting screw 47 Thus, the adjusting screw 46 controls the movement of both the cam 24 and the bell crank lever 16. In addition, the adjusting screw 47 affords another adjustment for controliing the time interval after the release of the trip lever 19 until the bell crank lever 16 is disposed in normal atrest position and the switch 9 is again open. The adjustment of the screw 47 is efective to control the speed of movement of the bell crank 16 which has been released by the cam 24 for such movement.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a sensitive, readily adjustable, control for controlling the time delay in the opening of the switch 9 after the trip lever 19 has been released is afford in the trip switch 1.

Also, it will be seen that the controls embodied in the trip switch 1 are effectiveto control the movement of the working parts thereof from actuated position to normal at-rest position so as to insure quiet operation of the trip switch 1, and so as to minimize shock to the parts thereof.

Also, it will be seen that the present invention affords a novel trip switch which is practical and efficient in operation and may be readily and economically produced commercially.

Thus, while we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification, and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A trip switch comprising supporting means, switch means mounted on said supporting means, means movable to one position to open said switch means and movable to another position to close said switch means, and two members movable together from a first position to a second position to thereby move said movable means to said other position and thereby close said switch, one of said members being movable from said second position to said first position therefor independently of the other of said members and in position to hold said other member in said second position therefor during at least a portion of said last-mentioned movement of said one member, said other member being movable from said other position therefor to said one position therefor when said one member is disposed in said one position therefor, a hydraulic reservoir, two cylinders having pistons reciprocably mounted therein, means connecting said cylinders to said reservoir for feeding fluid into and out of said cylinders upon movement of said pistons out of and into said cylinders, respectively, said pistons being operatively connected to respective ones of said members and movable out of and into said cylinders upon movement of said respective members from said first position to said second position and from said second position to said first position, respectively, and means on said last-mentioned means for controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid there; through to thereby control said movement of said pistons into said cylinder and thereby control said movement of said members from said second position to said first position.

2. A trip switch comprising: switch means; an actuating member rotatable between one position, wherein it is effective to open said switch means, and another position wherein it is effective to close said switch means; actuating means operably engaged with said actuating member and rotatable betwen a normal at-rest position and an actuated position; said actuating means being disposed in position to move said actuating member from said one position to said other position upon movement of said actuating means from said normal position to said actuated position, to hold said actuating member in said other position during the initial portion of movement of said actuating means from said actuated position to said normal posi tion, and to free said actuating member for movement from said other position to said one position during the last portion of said movement of said actuating means from said actuated position to said normal position; two hydraulic cylinders; two pistons reciprocable into and out of said cylinders; an hydraulic fluid reservoir; conduit means connected between said cylinders and said reservoir for feeding hydraulic fluid into and out of said cylinders upon said movement of said pistons into and out of said cylinders; said pistons being connected to and movable with said actuating member and said actuating means, re speotively; and means for controlling the flow of fluid through said conduit means from said cylinders toward said reservoir to thereby control the speed of movement of said pistons into said cylinders and thereby control the speed of movement of said actuating member and said actuating means from said other position and said actuated position toward said one position and said normal position, respectively.

3. A trip switch comprising a housing, a switch unit mounted in said housing and including an actuating memher having one position wherein it is effective to open said switch and another position wherein it is effective to close said switch, means for moving said actuating member in both directions between said two positions, said means including a lever pivotally mounted in said housing for rotation between a normal at rest position and an actuated position, an abutment member operatively connected to said lever and movable therewith, said abutment member being operatively engaged with said actuating member in such position as to permit said actuating member to move from said one position to said other position during movement of said lever from said normal position to said actuated position and to move said actuating member from said other position to said one position during movement of said lever from said actuated position to said normal position, and means for controlling the movement of said lever between said normal and actuated positions, said last-mentioned means including a cam rotatably mounted in said housing, said cam being rotatable between a first posit-ion and a second position and being disposed in such position relative to said lever effective to move said lever from said normal position to said actuated position upon movement of said cam from said first position to said second position, to hold said lever in said actuated position during the initial portion of the movement of said cam from said second position to said first position, and to free said lever for movement from said actuated position to said normal position during the remainder of said movement of said cam from said second position to said first position, and means for retarding the movement of said lever from said actuated position to said normal position and of said cam from said second position to said first position.

4. A trip switch comprising a housing, a switch unit mounted in said housing and including an actuating member having one position wherein it is effective to open said switch and another position wherein it is effective to close said switch, means for moving said actuating member in both directions between said two positions, said means including a lever pivotally mounted in said housing for rotation between a normal at-rest position and an actuated position, an abutment member operatively connected to said lever and movable therewith, said abutment member being operatively engaged with said actuating member in such position as to permit said actuating member to move from said one position to said other position during move-, ment of said lever from said normal position to said actuated position and to move said actuating member from said other position to said one position during movement of said lever from said actuated position to said normal position, and means for controlling the movement of said lever between said normal and actuated positions, said last-mentioned means including a cam rotatably mounted in said housing, said carn being rotatable between a first position and a second position and being disposed in such position relative to said lever effective to move said lever from said normal position to said actuated position upon movement of said cam from said first position to said second position, to hold said lever in said actuated position during the initial portion of the movement of said cam from said second position to said first position, and to free said lever for movement from said actuated position to said normal position during the remainder of said movement of said cam from said second position to said first position, a lever operatively connected to said cam and projecting outwardly from said housing for actuating said cam, two hydraulic cylinders mounted in said housing, two pistons mounted in said cylinders and reciprocable into and out of said cylinders, a reservoir for hydraulic fluid mounted on said housing and connected to said cylinders for feeding hydraulic fluid into and out of said cylinders during said reciprocation of said pistons, said pistons being connected to said lever and said cam, respectively, and movable therewith, and means for ad justing the fluid flow between said reservoir and said cylinders during said movement of said lever and cam from said actuated position to said normal position and from said second position to said first position, respe tively, to thereby adjust the speed of said last-mentioned movement of said lever and cam.

5. A trip switch as defined in claim 4 and in which said housing includes a cover thereon which is removable from the remainder of said housing, and in which said reservoir, said cylinders, said controlling means, said levers, s-ai'diabutnment member and said switch are mounted on said cover and removable therewith from the remainder of said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,086,501 Hill et al. July 6, 1937 2,604,562 Paul July 22, 1952 2,614,239 Smith Oct. 14, 1952 2,632,819 Ulinski Mar. 24, 1953 2,640,979 Carter June 2, 1953 2,899,702 Voster et a1 Aug. 18, 1959 

1. A TRIP SWITCH COMPRISING SUPPORTING MEANS, SWITCH MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, MEANS MOVABLE TO ONE POSITION TO OPEN SAID SWITCH MEANS AND MOVABLE TO ANOTHER POSITION TO CLOSE SAID SWITCH MEANS, AND TWO MEMBERS MOVABLE TOGETHER FROM A FIRST POSITION TO A SECOND POSITION TO THEREBY MOVE SAID MOVABLE MEANS TO SAID OTHER POSITION AND THEREBY CLOSE SAID SWITCH, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS BEING MOVABLE FROM SAID SECOND POSITION TO SAID FIRST POSITION THEREFOR INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS AND IN POSITION TO HOLD SAID OTHER MEMBER IN SAID SECOND POSITION THEREFOR DURING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID LAST-MENTIONED MOVEMENT OF SAID ONE MEMBER, SAID OTHER MEMBER BEING MOVABLE FROM SAID OTHER POSITION THEREFOR TO SAID ONE POSITION THEREFOR WHEN SAID ONE MEMBER IS DISPOSED IN SAID ONE POSITION THEREFOR, A HYDRAULIC RESERVOIR, TWO CYLINDERS HAVING PISTONS RECIPROCABLY MOUNTED THEREIN, MEANS CONNECTING SAID CYLINDERS TO SAID RESERVOIR FOR FEEDING FLUID INTO AND OUT OF SAID CYLINDERS UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID PISTONS OUT OF AND INTO SAID CYLINDERS, RESPECTIVELY, SAID PISTONS BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID MEMBERS AND MOVABLE OUT OF AND INTO SAID CYLINDERS UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID RESPECTIVE MEMBERS FROM SAID FIRST POSITION TO SAID SECOND POSITION AND FROM SAID SECOND POSITION TO SAID FIRST POSITION, RESPECTIVELY, AND MEANS ON SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF HYDRAULIC FLUID THERETHROUGH TO THEREBY CONTROL SAID MOVEMENT OF SAID PISTONS INTO SAID CYLINDER AND THEREBY CONTROL SAID MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBERS FROM SAID SECOND POSITION TO SAID FIRST POSITION. 